


Wheelchairs for a Muscular Seahorse

by ArgentDandelion



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Analysis, Gen, Meta, Monsters, Nonfiction, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:54:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26385211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgentDandelion/pseuds/ArgentDandelion
Summary: A two-part series on body accommodations in monster society.
Kudos: 2





	Wheelchairs for a Muscular Seahorse

**Author's Note:**

> On account of my computer going kaput mid-August 2020, and losing my 2020 files, the second part will be delayed. Thankfully, about half the material was made in 2019, so I don't have to start completely from scratch.

## Introduction

Monsters’ bodies are much more variable than those of humans. There are monsters with no legs, monsters with no arms, and monsters with no limbs at all.

Some monsters are well-suited for particular habitats, hence why most aquatic or fishlike monsters live in Waterfall, and why furry monsters and other monsters that don’t mind the cold live in Snowdin. Yet there are some exceptions to matching bodies with habitats. For example, the Big Mouth NPC, which is seemingly a giant carnivorous plant, lives in Snowdin.

Clearly, monsters would still need to make _some_ societal accommodations for different kinds of monsters for each region. This is especially likely for New Home, the capital. The most convincing evidence for this is how it’s called “crowded” and a member of nearly every encounterable monster variety shows up in Asgore’s house.

—

## Hydration Needs

Though a “fish” (a fish monster) Undyne can breathe air and walk perfectly well on land. Yet, for all her hardiness and determination, her body is poorly suited for the volcanic heat of Hotland, even when not running with a hundred pounds of metal armor on. Alphys must be very aware of this: Alphys’ lab is only a few screens away from Waterfall’s exit, but she still installed a water cooler en route “just for her [Undyne]”. The water cooler might be popular among Waterfall residents, if one clam dude’s claim that he came over from Waterfall because he was thirsty is any indication.

That Alphys would have to specifically install a water cooler with a limited supply of water in Hotland does bring up why monsters _don’t_ have public water fountains, at least in Hotland, for the benefit of visiting aquatic monsters. (It’s not as if they don’t have the funds for it or Asgore wouldn’t be amenable to it.)

It’s also possible that monsters, having magical bodies, simply don’t _need_ to drink water, or at least they don’t need it as much as humans do.

—-

## Public Infrastructure

**_Stairs_ **

If New Home’s population is as physiologically diverse as “the Under Tale” sequence suggests, it’s possible a significant chunk of the population would have trouble using stairs, especially steep stairs or stairs with gaps between the steps. Indeed, some monsters, such as Aaron or Moldsmal, have no limbs at all.

Elevators are an obvious solution, and there are a bunch of them: within Hotland, the CORE, and New Home. In fact, it seems the elevators can move _sideways_ in Hotland, which would probably shave commute times and be especially helpful for slower monsters. Putting the entrances of public buildings on level with the ground, using ramps, or using elevators are the most likely accommodations for legless monsters.

_**Color Use** _

Some monsters (e.g., Dogamy and Dogaressa) are red-green colorblind, so signage might have to have the colors adjusted for this possibility. That Sans mentions a “blue stop sign” may very well be an adaptation to monsters’ red-green colorblindness, since it certainly isn’t true of Surface culture.* This does bring up why monsters would even need stop signs, though, since (other than mentions of a heated limousine) there aren’t any cars or even trains.

—

## Mobility Aids

_**Wheelchairs** _

Undyne the fish monster can walk (and run, and jump) on land, but what about other fishlike monsters like Aaron and the Echo Flower explainer? Fictional media often portray mermaids moving on land using wheelchairs, as they lack legs. This may suit legless fish monsters like the Echo Flower Explainer, the fish at Grillby’s, or Aaron.

However, as Aaron in particular likes showing off his muscularity, he’d probably refuse to use a motorized wheelchair that can be operated with practically no muscle power. This is particularly true if, on a Post-Pacifist timeline, the culture on the Surface looks down on wheelchair users as unmuscular. Therefore, Aaron would surely favor a hand-operated wheelchair, or a more active model (a la the Omeo or sports wheelchairs) operated by leaning in different directions or strong pushing with the hands.

Admittedly, Aaron wouldn’t _need_ to use a wheelchair: he can move on land by “flexing” himself off-screen. If it’s anything like the flopping of a mudskipper (an amphibious fish) it’s likely he can’t control the trajectory of where he flexes. A wheelchair/wheelstool would therefore be recommended in the crowded and likely stony area of New Home, so he doesn’t hurt himself, passers-by, or property. Alternatively, he could also wear a protective apparatus, like football shoulder pads for his whole body.

_**Watery Housing** _

It seems some monsters can’t move on land at all, which would require special accommodations outside the un-explored “underwater citizens” area of Waterfall. Although it’s unclear just how watery New Home is, Onionsan’s dialogue shows it has an “aquarium” for aquatic monsters, though there’s not enough space for Onionsan. (e.g., the housing units are full, or Onionsan is just too big for any of the units)

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to comment, either here or on the author's [Tumblr](https://argentdandelion.tumblr.com/).


End file.
